Signal for railway-crossings



(No Model.)

H. H. s11 JOHN. SIGNAL. FOR RAILWAY UROSSINGS.

Shoe/whoa @Hiozm e1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSlVELL 11. ST. JOHN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SIGNAL FOR RAiLWAY-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,124, dated December 23, 1890. Application filed January 6, 1890- Serial No. 335,989. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROSWELL II. ST. JOHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Railway- Crossings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in signals for railway-crossings. I show mechanism connected with the main operatinglever so constructed that the crossing cannot be operated except within given limits, and the signal is made to occupy different positions, according as the signal-lever is moved into one or another positions, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a railroad-crossin g constructed, say, substantially after the plan shown in my patent, No. 388,929, dated September 4, 1888, and of the signal and operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the signal and operating mechanism alone. Fig. 3 is a detail of the operating handle or lever; and Fig. 4: is

an edge view of the portion thereof which has the locking-yoke, as hereinafter more fully described.

A represents a railroad-crossing to which my improvementis adapted,but is only shown here to illustrate the relation and connection of the parts in which the improvement is located. It is immaterial whether the special togglelever mechanism shown in my former patent or some other form of mechanism serving the same purpose be used. It will be understood, of course, that when the operating-lever is moved into one position the corner-rail sections will adapt the crossing for a train coming in one direction, and by moving said lever to the opposite position the rail-sections will beturned, say, at right angles to adapt the 'crossing to a train moving in a transverse direction. For this purpose I show an operating-rod B, to the end of which the operating-lever O is rigidly fastened. This lever is provided with a pawl, as usual, to lock it on the segmental rack D, within the limits of which from side to side the said lever has a free movement. I have shown the lever in full lines at the right in Fig. 2 and in dot-ted lines at the left in said figure. Both said positions are the limits. of its movement, and carrying the lever from one to the other changes the position of the rail-sections in the angle of the crossing to enable a train to pass one way or another.

E represents a signal bar or arm adapted especially for a railroad-crossin g, and this signal has three positions, as shown in full and dotted lines, which are determined by the movement of the signal-lever F. This lever turns freely on the rod B and has a separate segment D, with notches engaged by a pawl or dog thereon to lock it either in the central position shown in Fig. 2 or in the side positions occupied by the lever O. The two levers O and F of course are pivot-ed so that they may swing past each other. The movements of the lever F are subject to those of lever O, and the said lever O has a yoke 0 between its ends, with projections c, which form stops for the lever F, and beyond which it cannot move. Thus assuming that the two levers occupy the positions shown in Fig. 2, the lever F cannot be moved to the left farther than it is shown, because it is bearing against the projection c of the yoke 0. Hence the signal E can only be moved to give the signal to the train to which the crossing is adapted by the position of the main operating-lever. Connection is made from the lever F by a rod g to a T- shaped hanger H, pivoted at 71. Long rods Z connect the T with signal bar or arm E. The proportions and relations in these connections between lever F and the signal E are such that the said signal will be moved into any I one of the three positionsbya corresponding movement of the lever F. Thus when said lever F is locked centrally, as shown in Fig. 2, the signal E occupies what is known as the blocked position, which is a warning for trainsto stop from whatever direction they may approach. Then moving from that position say to the right opposite the lever O-the signal F. will be given a horizontal position, and trains governed by that signal will have notice of right of way. On the contrary, when the lever O is moved to the left, as seen in dotted lines, and the lever F is likewise moved to the left opposite to lever C, the signal will 5 here shown in full lines, the trains will be Warned to stop and get the proper signal before they attempt to go on. When the lever C is at the left, as in the dotted lines, the lever F cannot be moved to the right so as to 10 give a mistaken signal, the projection c on the end of yoke 0 serving to out off its further movement to the right. Thus the main lever (3 serves to both operate crossing and to fix limitations for the signal-lever, preventing 15 possible mistakes or the giving of Wrong signals.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination, the main operating-lever having a yoke with projections, the signallever pivoted to move between said projections, and the signal and intermediate mechanism, substantially as described.

2. A main shaft for operating the crossing and a lever rigid therewith, in combination With a signal-lever loosely pivoted on said shaft, a signal, and mechanism connecting said signal and signal-lever, substantially as described.

\Vitness my hand to the foregoing specification this llth day of December, 1889.

ROSWELL II. ST. JOHN.

\Vitnesses:

II. T. FISHER, NELLIE L. MCLAXE. 

